There are businesses that run on a straight 9 to 5 business day schedule. Then there are businesses that require more before and after-hour client interactions. What if you have a business where client interaction can happen at any hour, and you don’t really know when or how often that will occur?
Your business growth and success depend on not missing any opportunity. You don’t want to ever miss that one big call. But every time you step away from your phone, turn it off for some quality family time, or are driving to a scheduled appointment, it rings. Another opportunity was missed because you couldn’t connect with the caller.
These situations lead to frustration and stress as you realize that you can’t be with your phone day and night, but you don’t want to miss out either. To grow your business, you need these new clients, and a great solution is to enlist a small business answering service. Having an answering service can be like having an assistant to help you run your company and free you up to manage your day.
How to Utilize an Answering Service
Beyond having someone else answer those calls you cannot get to, there are many other services that an answering service company can provide that will benefit you and encourage the growth of your company.
- 24/7 Answering. Many answering service operations work every day, day and night. When you need to brush your teeth, take a shower, attend your child’s play or sporting event, or get some sleep, you can let your answering service take your calls and personally talk to your customers for you.
- Personalized Script. Not only will the service take your calls, but they will answer questions from your callers and provide any help they can by reading the script information you have given them. This script information can be updated at any time based on your business needs.
- Mobile App. Most companies have a mobile app that allows you to see your messages from your smartphone. If you are out, you are able to return these calls from your phone by using an app number and not your personal cell phone number if you need to keep that number private. You can also see your messages from your dashboard. The dashboard will give you analytics of your calls and minutes and enable you to keep track of usage and do any updates or make changes to your account.
Other Services to Consider
Utilizing the services above can make a difference in how you operate your business and organize your days. Just having the assistance in handling your phone calls can make a positive change, but there are other benefits to having an answering service to consider that can increase sales. Below are a few of those services to consider when researching answering service companies:
- Bilingual Operators
- Live Chat
- Order Processing
When you begin your research on the best small business answering service to work with, you will want to compare their services and their fees. Make sure their billing structure and minutes provided will work with your business needs and that you are able to adjust easily if you need more minutes per month or don’t require as many minutes as you thought you would.
Most companies offer you an account manager to work with that can assist you with any issues you are having and help you make any adjustments needed if you are not able to do so on your dashboard. The more personal you can be with your account manager and the team, the better personalization they can give to your clients when they call in.
Although this will be an added expense to your small business, it could be the best monthly fee you pay when compared to the business you can gain. Competition is tough, and when a customer does not get service or the assistance they need immediately, there are others out there who can give it to them. Don’t miss out on any future business. Have someone ready to answer that call, provide personal communication and temporary assistance, and ensure your potential customer that you will be able to help them as soon as practical.
